Endgame

No theater company in Philadelphia presents a greater variety of genres and styles than the Arden Theatre Company. However, even for a company that prides itself on its diversity (the troupe’s mission is to tell stories on stage), the Arden’s production of Samuel Beckett’s absurdist comedy Endgame is a bit of a departure. A chilling portrait of a post apocalyptic world, the show’s two characters differences are so acute that on the surface they are at odds. In truth though the pair complement each other: Hamm (Scott Greer) can’t stand up; Clov (James Ijames) can’t sit down; Hamm is aggressive; Clov is passive. Alone they couldn’t survive. Artistic director Terry Nolen says the Arden selects classic plays “when there seems to a perfect match of actor and role.” In Greer and Ijames he would seem to have his actors, and if director Ed Sobel is at ease as he was with Superior Donuts and Clybourne Park, Endgame should be a winner. —J.C.R.